Thorlabs is pleased to stock a variety of free-space optical isolators designed for use with Nd:YAG lasers (i.e., output at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm). Optical isolators, also known as Faraday isolators, are magneto-optic devices that preferentially transmit light along a single direction, shielding upstream optics from back reflections. Back reflections can create a number of instabilities in light sources, including intensity noise, frequency shifts, mode hopping, and loss of mode lock. In addition, intense back-reflected light can permanently damage optics. Please see the Isolator Tutorial tab for an explanation of the operating principles of a Faraday isolator.

For applications at Nd:YAG wavelengths, we offer four types of isolators. The first type, Fixed Narrowband Isolators, contains fixed, factory-aligned optics, for which peak isolation and peak transmission occurs at a pre-defined center wavelength. Any deviation from this wavelength will cause a dip in isolation and transmission. The second type, Adjustable Narrowband Isolators, offers the user the ability to adjust the alignment of the input and output polarizers, allowing tuning of the center wavelength within a 45 nm range. The third type, Tandem Narrowband Isolators, consists of two Faraday rotators in series, boosting the isolation to at least 55 dB at the expense of lower transmission. The fourth type, Polarization-Independent Isolators, achieves the same performance characteristics regardless of the input polarization, greatly simplifying alignment. Please see the Isolator Types tab for additional design details and representative graphs of the wavelength-dependent isolation.

Except for the IO-D-1064-VLP, the housing of each isolator shown here is marked with an arrow that indicates the direction of forward propagation. All isolators shown here (including the IO-D-1064-VLP) have engravings that indicate the alignment of the input and output polarizers.

Thorlabs also manufactures isolators for fiber optic systems and wavelengths from the visible to the infrared (see the Selection Guide table to the left). As indicated in the tables below and pictured to the right, many of our stock isolators can also be provided in a mount designed for our FiberBench systems. If Thorlabs does not stock an isolator suited for your application, please refer to our Custom Isolators page for information on our build-to-order options, or contact Tech Support. Thorlabs' in-house manufacturing service has over 25 years of experience and can deliver a free-space isolator tuned to your center wavelength (from 244 - 2800 nm).

Selection Guide for Isolators

Free-Space Isolators

Spectral Region

Wavelength Range

UV

365 - 385 nm

Visible

395 - 690 nm

NIR

760 - 1050 nm

Nd:YAG

1064 nm

IR

1120 - 2100 nm

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